A shot twice a year to Prevent HIV Being nicknamed a “drug shit” by some could come to Canada next year, although the company behind it indicates that it could still take some time before the general population can access it.
Gilead Canada confirmed to Global News that he had submitted Lenacapavir for the use of pre-exhibition prophylaxis (PREP) as a new injectable drug to Health Canada In April of this year and he had been accepted by the exam agency this month.
He said he was planning that the medication assessment would be completed in mid-2026.
Global News asked Health Canada on potential approval time as well as a calendar for the approval process.
Canadian HIV prevention experts and defenders say the drug Gilead is a “monumental advance”.
“It is absolutely a monumental advance in prevention,” said Peter Newman, a social labor teacher at the University of Toronto, whose work includes HIV prevention.
“These kinds of things could really help do it faster and it is certainly profitable in the long term because you will prevent a lot of cases new HIV.”
The drug has almost eliminated new infections in two revolutionary studies on high-risk people, better than daily preventive pills that people can forget to take, encouraging food and drug administration in the United States Approve in this country last week.
The condoms help to protect themselves against HIV infection if used properly, but what is called preparation – by regularly using preventive drugs such as daily pills or a given shot every two months – is more and more important.
The six -month protection of Lenacapavir in fact the most sustainable type, an option that could attract people to be wary of more frequent doctor visits or stigmatization of daily pills.
Lenacapavir was initially authorized by Health Canada in 2022 both as injection and tablets for the treatment of HIV, but not prevention.
The injection is given in the form of two doses in the skin of the abdomen, leaving a small “deposit” of drugs to slowly absorb into the body.
Patrick O’Byrne, nurse practitioner at the Sti clinic in Ottawa, said unlike the pills where a dose can be forgotten, injectables are less easy to forget.
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“It’s hard to spoil. You can get your injection and it works,” said O’Byrne. “Injectables are much more indulgent, so they have in fact, in studies, better preventive results because it depends less on people.”
People have to test negatives for HIV before getting their dose twice a year, Gilead warned.
Like oral preparation, the drug only transmission of HIV, no other sexually transmitted diseases.
According to Gilead, if approved, the shot twice a year should be administered by a health care practitioner – a doctor or a nurse.
But some defenders say he should be extended.
“The shots are only twice a year, which reduces patients who spend time in a waiting room,” said Sean Hosein, editor of Canadian Information Information Information Exchange, known as Cata, which is funded by federal and provincial subsidies.
“But I also think that another way of making prevention more widely available is to allow a range of health care providers to prescribe and at least administer it. So we have doctors, nurses, practitioner nurses and even pharmacists may stop to do this.
“In clinical trials, Lenacapavir was better, it was more effective than taking daily pills. It is therefore a wonderful drug. “
Health Canada told Global News last week that, although it is responsible for the authorization of drugs and health products for safety, efficiency and quality, it is not responsible for its availability or distribution on the Canadian market, noting that each province and territory has its own medication plan.
Gilead said he would work with payers in public and private space to “speed up availability and access”.
Since the approval of the American drug, there have been concerns about accessibility.
The price of the list of the United States, which means before insurance, is US $ 28,218 per year, according to Gilead, which the company called similar to other preparation options.
O’Byrne said the cost is a key factor to help prevent HIV, because although having such a medication is useful, if some populations cannot access it, little progress can be made.
“We may have a lot of interest and if many people cannot afford it, it’s dead in the water,” he said.
“I think the most important thing that people say when we talk about preparation, it is how much it costs. Some of this, I think, people use the cost like” I don’t really want to talk about it “, but it is nevertheless a huge obstacle to say:” I cannot afford it. “”
According to the Canada Public Health Agency in 2022, 54% of HIV prescriptions were paid by private insurance, while 43% were paid by public coverage.
–With files from the Associated Press
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